new families
camp akeela
Thank you for choosing to send your child to Camp Akeela this summer. We know that in doing so, you are trusting us with the physical and emotional safety of your most prized possession. Camp is a wonderful gift that you are giving to your camper and we truly believe that Akeela is a great place for growth, friendship and fun!
It is common for our campers to feel both excited and nervous about coming to Akeela for the first time! We want you to know that we’re here to help and to support your family. In particular, we find that our campers (and their caregivers) feel most comfortable when they have more information and know as much as possible about what to expect.
Keep an eye out for newsletters with important information and for ongoing updates to our online Family Handbook. In the spring, we’ll send instructions for how to access our mandatory camp forms. Lastly, a few days before your camp session, you will receive an invitation to a “virtual bunk meeting” which is a wonderful opportunity for our campers to connect with each other and meet their counselors before they even arrive!
Meet Our Directors
Debbie and Eric met at a summer camp and have been partners in camping ever since. They have each held virtually every job available at camp, from bunk counselor and swim instructor to unit head and camp director. Throughout their careers, Debbie and Eric have always found themselves gravitating towards the “quirky” kids. Opening Akeela enabled them to create an empowering community for boys and girls who thrive in traditional camp setting with a little extra social support.
Eric Sasson has more than 40 years of camp experience, at some of the Northeast’s finest camps, including Camp Walt Whitman, Camp Wingate*Kirkland and Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. He has been a full time camp professional for over 25 years and is an active member of the American Camp Association. Eric earned a BA in Math from Haverford College and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Outside of the camp world, he has extensive experience working with children and young adults in a variety of settings.
Favorite Book: Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Place I’d Like To Visit: New Zealand
Camp Food: Fajitas
Debbie Sasson has been spending her summers at camp for more than 30 years. She has a BA in Psychology and a Masters in School Counseling from the University of Rochester. After 3 wonderful years as a middle school counselor in Belmont, MA, she returned to school and earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University in May 2008. She works as a full-time director of Camp Akeela, a position to which she brings extensive knowledge of the fields of child, adolescent and Family-Systems psychology
Favorite Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Place I’d Like To Visit: South Africa
Camp Food: Tacos
First-Time Akeela Families
It is important to us that you know your child is safe and happy at camp. That is why Debbie and Eric and their amazing staff are always available to speak with you should you have any questions or concerns. In addition, we will call you if we have any concerns about your child’s success at camp.
We do not allow electronics at camp! (The only exception is a music player without screen content.) We believe that camp is a wonderful opportunity to take a short break from technology. We know that if campers are looking down at screens, they are not having meaningful conversations and making lasting connections with their peers. Camp allows our campers to experience the amazing outdoors within our camp community and beyond.
Our staff is well trained to help campers work through feelings of homesickness. The best way to beat homesickness is to validate campers’ feelings, while also keeping them engaged and excited about the many opportunities that await them every day at Akeela. Campers who can work through these challenges will feel more confident and will become more resilient as a result. The first few hours at camp have the potential to be the most difficult. This is why we have our campers’ parents send up their belongings ahead of time. Our staff unpacks each camper, carefully preparing his/her bunk area, so that when campers arrive they are able to immediately jump into activities designed to help them feel comfortable in the Akeela community.
Lots of people get confused about the actual role of these important leaders in our community. Perhaps it’s the title that’s misleading … head counselors are not the wonderful staff members who live in your child’s cabin. Those are cabin counselors and specialists.
Our head counselors are adults who live in our community and who supervise between 3 and 5 cabins. They oversee the well-being of the campers and staff in those groups and are the primary “point person” for you to call when you have a question about your child’s success at camp.
Head counselors spend all day out in camp with their campers and staff, providing ongoing support and feedback. They check messages a few times a day and return parent calls, usually in the evening. They are a wonderful resource to us as camp directors and serve as our eyes and ears, as we cannot be everywhere at once! While we oversee the entire community (120 campers and close to 100 staff members), the head counselors focus on their few cabin groups.
Please let us know if you have any questions about your child’s head counselor this summer. (You can find profiles of our head counselors here.)
The Packing List below details the clothing and equipment that will be needed at camp. The list is only a suggested guide. Substitutions can be made for individual preferences and age appropriateness. Campers do not need more than what’s recommended and storage space is limited. Please do not overbuy!
All items brought to camp must be clearly marked with the camper’s name. We highly recommend the peel-and-stick washable labels from Label Daddy. (Using this link, 25% of your order will be donated to CampLauncher!)
| PACKING LIST: ☐ 1 white or grey Akeela t-shirt (Required, find at Camp Spot) ☐ 12 additional t-shirts ☐ 4 long-sleeved t-shirts ☐ 4 pair pants (sweatpants, jeans, etc.) ☐ 8 pair shorts ☐ 2 sweatshirts (1 hooded) ☐ 2 pair sneakers ☐ 14 pair underwear ☐ 14 pair athletic socks ☐ 2 pair pajamas (e.g. 1 short and 1 long) ☐ 1 comforter or 3 cot-sized wool blankets (VT can be cold at night!) ☐ 4 cot-sized or twin sheets (2 flat & 2 fitted) ☐ 2-3 bath towels ☐ 2 swim/beach towels ☐ 1 shower caddy with soap dish, cup, toothbrush holder & toiletries ☐ Pre-addressed, stamped envelopes with stationery ☐ 1 pillow with 2 cases ☐ 3-4 bathing suits: designed for active water programs (no string ties on girls’ suits) ☐ 1 pair flip flops/sandals/Crocs ☐ 2 hats with brim ☐ 1 fleece jacket or heavyweight jacket ☐ 1 rain jacket or hooded poncho ☐ 1 pair rain boots ☐ 1 sleeping bag (Required for our In-Camp Overnight program!) ☐ 1 flashlight ☐ 2 water bottles or canteens (Required) ☐ 1 bottle insect repellent ☐ 1 pr. hiking shoes (or sturdy sneakers) – please break in before camp ☐ 1 bottle sunscreen ☐ 1 small backpack |  OPTIONAL: ☐ Sunglasses ☐ Camera ☐ Music player (without screen content – See our electronics policy) ☐ Baseball glove ☐ Musical instrument ☐ Tennis racquet ☐ Fishing rod ☐ Books ☐ Crazy Creek chair (or similar) |
Shipping Bags to Camp
Unpacking our campers is a vital part of how we welcome them to Akeela. Except for our overseas campers, we require that all trunks/duffels arrive at camp at least 3 days prior to the start of your child’s session
ShipCamps – We highly recommend sending your camper’s bags through ShipCamps. They partner with FedEx for great door-to-door service at the lowest rates that we’ve found. They also provide ready-to-use labels, real time online tracking, and excellent camp-specific customer service.
UPS/FedEx/USPS – If you choose not to use ShipCamps, you can send your bags via USPS, UPS or FedEx. You’ll find the best pricing using their “Ground” services. Please make sure to get an estimated date of delivery so that bags arrives at camp at least 3 days before your camp session.
Drop Off Bags At Camp – Families who live close enough are welcome to drive their campers’ belongings to Akeela. Because we unpack and set up cabins ahead of time, camper bags must arrive at least 3 days before the camp session. Please let us know if you plan to drop off your child’s baggage.
Getting Bags Home from Camp
While we are hopeful that bags will be able to go under the buses on the return trip home, space is very limited and we can’t count on it until we know for sure how many campers will be on each bus. As such, please contract return service with Ship Camps. If we think we can get your bags under the bus after all, we’ll let you know in advance and you won’t be charged by ShipCamps. If you are picking your child up at camp at the end of the session, we will have their bags ready to put in your car that morning.
A Note About Types of Bags
As a reminder, campers do not “live out of their bags” while at camp; prior to their arrival, we unpack their belongings into shelves/cubbies and under-bed storage boxes. For that reason, we don’t require a specific type of luggage. If you have bags on hand that work for your family, feel free to use those! But if you’re purchasing camp baggage, we recommend getting two “soft trunks”. These are essentially large duffel bags. (Pro tip: don’t get bags longer than 44″, as they’ll often incur additional shipping fees.)
We do NOT recommend traditional hard-sided camp trunks, nor any bags that have wheels.
In an effort to reduce unnecessary competition among campers and constant pressure on parents to send packages, Camp Akeela has a NO PACKAGE POLICY.
Food of any kind (including drink mixes, candy, gum, etc.) may not be sent and will be discarded. Please share this information with relatives and friends.
If you need to send appropriate camp items (clothing, replacement items, etc.) please call our camp office to let us know a package is coming.
